Mirchi Bajji (Stuffed Chilli Fritters)

When it rains in Andhra and Telangana, every street corner smells of mirchi bajji. Big, mild chillies are slit, filled with a sour-spicy tamarind and ajwain stuffing and fried in a crisp gram-flour batter. Served hot with chopped onion and a squeeze of lemon.

Video by HomeCookingShow on YouTube. Our recipe below is our own home-style version, written in our own words – quantities and steps may differ from the video.

• Serves 4
• Prep 20 min
• Cook 20 min
• Vegan · gluten-free · Spicy
• Famous in Andhra Pradesh

Ingredients

• 8 large mild green chillies (Bhavnagri, Anaheim or long Turkish peppers)
• For the filling: 1 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 tsp ajwain, 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp chaat masala
• For the batter: 150 g besan (gram flour), 2 tbsp rice flour, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ajwain, 1 pinch baking soda, ¾ tsp salt, about 180 ml water
• oil for deep-frying
• 1 onion, finely chopped, lemon wedges and coriander to serve

Method

1. Slit the chillies lengthwise on one side and scrape out the seeds (keep a few for more heat).
2. Mix the tamarind, ajwain, cumin, chaat masala and salt to a thick paste and smear a little inside each chilli.
3. Whisk all batter ingredients to a smooth, thick batter that coats a spoon.
4. Heat the oil to 180 °C. Dip each chilli in the batter and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper.
5. Slit the bajjis open, stuff with chopped onion and coriander, squeeze over lemon and serve hot with tea.

Tip: Use big, mild chillies – small hot ones make the bajji too fiery to eat whole.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.